There is a heated debate on whether it’s something to be accepted, shunned, or even revered.

There is also discussions on whether you can be fat and healthy, fat and successful or dare I say it, fat and happy.

Though the level of discussion on the topic is new, the discussion itself is not.

Since the human race has started creating art out of what they see there has been talk about the ideal size and shape of our bodies and what those shapes say about our health, happiness and our status in society

Of course, that way of thinking went rampant when print and video media became mainstream and the opinion of a few key sources became fact in the minds of the masses.

However, that’s not what this article is about.

Today I want to focus on the female body as art. Specifically, the plus size female body.

Art is subjective.

What one person considers art another person might consider trash.

The purpose of art is to evoke a response from the viewers, any response.

The artist sets out creating his or her collection in hopes that you will see what they see, that you will understand the message they are trying to convey.

It doesn’t always work that way but not matter what, you will always walk away with an opinion of it.

I’ve searched the internet to find current artful images of the plus size female form and I feel I’ve gathered some really great examples.

As you look over these art pieces I would like to ask one thing of you:

Try not to look at the pieces and fixate on the flaws that you see, or whether or not this person is healthy, or whether or not you are sexually attracted to this image or how or why someone else might be.

Just look at the images below and think about the subject in the photo as an actual person.

Why did she pose for this artist?

How does she feel about her body?

How do you think others treat her because of the size and shape of her body?

What do you think she gained from taking part in this?

Now, turn those thoughts back onto yourself.

If you saw a naked picture of yourself would you focus on the flaws that you see or would you take the time to really look at your body?

Would you even be comfortable posing nude for a photographer, sculptor or painter? Why or why not?

When you look at a plus size body do you only think negative thoughts? If so why?

If you had the courage to pose nude for an artist what do think you would gain from the experience?

If you feel yourself leaning towards negative thoughts about the images below, ask yourself the following:

What is it exactly about this image that brings up negative thoughts in your mind?

What are those negative thoughts specifically?

Do you look at the images below and think “They cant be healthy or comfortable in their body. Therefore they can’t be happy. Therefore this body is negative.”? Why do you assume that?

Do you fixate on the nakedness and think fetish or pornography? Why?

Can you see a plus size body as just a body and not dwell on negative things you’ve been taught about it?

Let’s take this a step further and ask ourselves:

Are we responding the way we are from personal experience or from what we’ve learned through social media?

Warning: The following photos, videos and sculptures will contain various forms of nudity.

“At the end of the day though, what I really wanted the women to get out of our time (how ever brief) together was that they were IMPORTANT. That their bodies deserved to be seen, that what they perceive as faults are simply THEM, and are neither right nor wrong. That showing their bodies won’t innately cause them harm. That their breasts won’t cause damage to those around them, or their bellies or thighs either. That their nudity, while making them vulnerable, does not make them at fault. And that lastly, their bodies are their vehicles through life, and to treat them with kindness. I hope that came across.” Taken from Liora K’s Blog

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The weather is getting warmer, the trees are getting greener and people are starting to plan their little vacation getaways.

What’s a vacation without a few good books to read?

A boring one in my mind!

So, if you are like me and are looking for something new to read on your trip or just looking for something to read at home might I suggest you browse through this list of RITA finalists?

What’s a RITA finalist?

I’m glad you asked!

A RITA finalist is an author who’s book has been selected to move onto the final phase of the RITA competition.

What is the RITA competition?

The RITA is an award given by the Romance Writers of American (RWA) to RWA members who enter into the RITA competition. It’s a yearly competition where up to 2,000 romance novels are entered covering a wide variety of sub genres in romance. For books to qualify for the RITA award they must have already been published. There are two rounds in the competition with the winners announced during the annual RWA convention. This isn’t just some simple no fuss award ceremony. It’s like the Oscars for romance writers. I hope to one day be sitting in that audience decked out in a fancy dress waiting breathlessly for my name to be called!

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Many people believe critique partners and beta readers are one in the same.

I admit, they can be, if you choose to use them that way.

However, if you want your book to be the best it can be then you not only need to know the difference but you also need to know where to find them and when to use them.

To make sure we are all on the same page let’s get the definitions out of the way.

Critique Partner – A writer/author who offers up their time and experience to critique your MS in exchange for your time and experience in critiquing theirs.

Beta Reader – An avid reader who reads through your entire polished MS to see if it is any good.

Critique Partner

Critique partners need to be fellow writers/authors. They don’t need to be of the same genre or sub genre as you but they do need to know and understand the craft of writing.

It’s OK to look around and be choosy.

Don’t commit long term to someone until you know for sure you are a good match.

You want to look for someone who:

Has experience writing and/or publishing.

Isn’t afraid to give their honest opinion.

Likes the genre you write in or at least respects it.

Likes or understands your personal writing style/voice.

Is able to give a good mixture of praise and criticism.

Can explain in detail why they think something is good or offers up detailed advice when something is bad.

Wants the same kind of critique you want along with the same amount of critiques you want.

Is on social media or checks their emails often. Nothing is more frustrating then a critique partner who goes missing…often.

It’s best if you take a few critique partners out for a test drive. You’ll never truly know if you are a good match until you get through that first critique.

When it comes to critique partners, having only 1 is not the answer.

Look for at least 2-3. You want to find writers who have strengths in different areas (example: 1 critique partner gives strong critiques on dialogue, while another gives strong critiques on story structure and another might give great critiques according to what your genre calls for).

It’s also worth finding critique partners that write in different genres then you. Why?

Writers from different genres can inspire you to add an element to your story you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

When is the best time to seek out a critique partner?

The best time to look for one is as soon as you are done with your first draft and your first set of edits. Meaning, once you write “The End” go back and do all the basic grammar and story structure corrections then send it out to your critique partner.

The less grammar and story structure errors there are, the more your critique partner can focus on the actual story and what works and what doesn’t.

Critiquing an MS is usually done a few chapters at a time unless you both agreed to send the whole thing all at once.

Beta Reader

Beta Readers are not writers/authors. They can be, of course, but they shouldn’t be.

When it comes to beta readers you want to find someone who’s passion is reading. An avid reader.

You want to look for someone who:

Loves to read.

Has the time to read.

Can read an entire book in a short amount of time.

Is willing to read a book for the sole purpose of telling the writer if it sucks or not.

Like with critique partners, it would be beneficial for you to find more then one. Why?

Because the more views you have on your work the better grasp you have on whether or not it will be received well by the public.

Having beta readers with different strong suites is ideal. (Example: 1 reader who is an avid fan of your sub genre, 1 reader who is an avid reader of your genre in general and 1 reader who just enjoys reading fiction.)

When is the best time to seek out a beta reader?

The best time to round up your beta readers is after you’ve fixed your problems found by your critique partners.

You want your MS to be as finished as it can be when you hand it over to your beta readers.

Look at your beta readers as a practice run for the real thing.

When sending your MS to your beta reader, you want to send the whole thing at once. That way they get the full experience of the book from start to finish.

Once you get the feedback from your beta readers, fix what needs to be fixed and then send it out for submissions.

***Side Note***At this point some writers prefer to send their MS out to professional editors who will check it line by line for any missed grammatical and structural errors. This ensures their best possible chance of success once it’s submitted. Other writers leave that up to the publishing houses.

Now that we’ve covered the who, what and how of it all let’s cover the where.

Where can you find critique partners?

The following is a list of websites ideal for finding critique partners and beta readers:

Now that we got the technical terms out of the way let’s break down how we view them in every day life.

For me, a novel is any work of fiction from any genre that is longer then a short story or novella.

In my mind, a comic book is basically a short story or novella done in illustration form. It’s a small part of a larger story. It can stand alone but should be read in order to make sense.

A graphic novel, to me, is pretty much the same as a novel. Instead of “showing” with words a graphic novel “shows” through the art drawn within it. The words written aren’t exactly secondary but they aren’t the main focus. However, the lack of words by no means takes a way from the depth and of the story.

If you feel intimidated about reading a comic book or graphic novel for the first time but want to know what they are like compared to a regular book check out the following graphic novels that came from popular books.

Keep in mind that the majority of the comic book and graphic novels I listed are of the Romance persuasion. However, there really is a graphic novel out there for all genres and reading tastes. You just have to take the time to search for what you are looking for.

25 days later and I feel like I’ve escaped the clutches of death itself!

Ok, ok. That might be a bit dramatic… a bit.

Let me fill you in on what’s kept this writer down for over 3 weeks.

Half way through my weird arm injury recovery I received a call from my oral surgeon (whom I had been successfully avoiding for over a month).

“Hello, Mrs. Denton. We’re calling to see if you’d like to go ahead and schedule your wisdom teeth extraction today.”

Now see, I’m one of those people who has a hard time saying no to someone. It’s the whole reason I avoid numbers I don’t recognize for fear of agreeing to some crazy sales scheme.

So naturally I said sure. (Proceed to smacking head with phone)

Well, much to my dismay and utter fear there was an opening just days away. (Oh goody!) So they penciled me in and my husband made sure I couldn’t back out by taking the day off of work to “accompany” me.

Before I go any further here is a bit of back-story about my previous dental experiences.

I am no fan of the dentist.

As a child my mom didn’t have dental insurance so I rarely ever went to one. I think I graced a dentist with my presence maybe a total of 3 times as a kid. Once as a general check up and cleaning, once to get two fillings, and finally once to remove a piece of pencil lead from my gums….don’t ask.

So when my husband and I finally got dental insurance I decided it was time I went back.

At first everything was fine…great even. The dentist said I had great teeth really and that even with a lack of dental visits I only had a few small cavities to fill and 4 wisdom teeth to remove (because they never came out all the way). I left the office with a smile and an appointment to return for my first set of cavity repairs a week later.

I’m petrified but thankful I’ll be under anesthesia during the surgery since normal numbing methods don’t work very well on my body (my body hates me).

At this point I’m actually looking forward to the video of crazy things I’m sure my husband will catch me saying in recovery.

The dental assistants and nurses prep me and I’m sitting in this “spa-like” room feeling like an alien about to be dissected with a huge light shining above and weird tubes and lines attached to me.

I don’t even remember passing out. I just remember trying to conjure up an image of the beach (my go-to Happy Place).

Next thing I know I feel myself becoming “aware”. I say aware instead of awake because my eyes weren’t open but I was conscious.

I remember feeling a few tugs in my mouth and then the feeling of tears sliding down my cheeks. I don’t remember feeling any pain. The next thing I know there is utter chaos happening and then in a matter of seconds it was back to oblivion for me.

Once the procedure was done I came awake hyperventilating, shaking and whimpering with tears running down my face. I could hear one of the nurses reassuring another nurse (whose first day it was) that this happens (sometimes) and to not let it freak her out.

Let me clear this up….. that reassurance was to the new nurse at the office…… not me…. the patient who just went through the damn thing. Matter of fact the only words I got were,

“Try to calm down now.” and “Can you walk to recovery?” (Which I did….barely.)

I lay there in recovery for a good 20 minutes before I was able to stop hyperventilating and crying. When I finally did, one jarring realization hit me.

Not only did something go wrong but I don’t even get the benefit of being “high” afterwards!

I could hear all the other patients in the curtained off beds next to me talk about the steak they are going to eat after leaving here or their secret life as a mermaid, meanwhile I’m sitting there thinking “What the f*** just happened?!”

Apparently, not only does my body feel the need to block numbing agents but also anesthesia as well?! (Great…just great. See I told you my body hates me).

They finally let my husband come back and when he sees me the look on his face said it all. He knew right away that something went wrong and that I was not currently riding “high”.

The oral surgeon popped in just long enough to say I was free to go (I guess he was hoping I didn’t remember what happened) and then the nurse came back to give me a sheet of what to do and what not to do the next couple of days.

At this point I was already feeling pain which I tried to tell the nurse about but she kept insisting that I’ll be numb for a few more hours at least….right… Then she proceeds to change out the gauze in my mouth. Upon removing them she lets slip, “Oh wow that’s a lot of blood!” before she recovered herself and assured me that its “normal” and would stop in a few hours.

A few hours?? Try 4 days. Four days I spent with blood soaked gauze in my mouth having to change it out every 20 minutes or whenever I ate or drank something (which wasn’t very often). And yet, that’s not the worst of it.

By the time we got home I got brave enough to let my tongue explore my newly ravaged mouth.

4 missing wisdom teeth

4 gaping holes where the wisdom teeth were….ok…

1 large stitch on the roof of my mouth that ran from my teeth on the right to the middle….Hmm…looks like I found the cause of the commotion in my mouth.

1 dime size drop of blood on my shirt (where I know had been covered by paper before the procedure) and a ripped seem in my yoga pants (that wasn’t there before the procedure). Something tells me I might have felt “calm” on the inside when I woke up in the middle of the procedure but I must have gone crazy on the outside.

That is still not the worst of it….

My body does not tolerate pain medicine. Not even a little.

So I had to rely on multiple doses of Ibuprofen and extra strength Tylenol to get me through 4 wisdom teeth extractions, upper and lower jaw bone shavings (I still don’t know why this had to be done) and a stitched up gash on the roof of my mouth.

All I could do was sleep the pain away and I did for a week straight.

Thank God I had my Mom and Husband to hold down the fort cause I was literally worthless.

I know, I know. You’re probably thinking I’m a softy and it couldn’t have been as bad as I make it sound.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Let me put it this way….

I’ve given birth to two children without the benefit of any kind of pain medicine.

They were turned the wrong way, they ripped me coming out and one of the labors lasted for 4 days.

And yet I’d still gladly relive that pain before going through another week of what I just went through….GLADLY!

Ok. i’m done complaining ;-)

Now, I need your help. Because I missed so many days I’m way behind on my scheduled blog posts, 12 of them to be exact.

The blog topics I was going to write about during that time were:

#CurvyWriter

2015 RITA Finalists

How To Write Dialogue

Tax Deductions for Writers

Words to Delete from Your MS

#CurvyReader

Popular Book Villains We Love to Hate

RITA Finalists I Can’t Wait To Read

My Dream Cast of actors fro Destiny Be Damned

My Favorite Reader Resources

#CurvyLiving

Plus Size Hatred and the Bullies Who Fuel It

Dating Plus Size

Plus Size Art and Boudoir Photography

Plus Size Men

You’re mission, if you choose to except it, is to let me know if any or all of these topics interest you.

Do you want to read them all?

Are there just a few that catch your interest? If so which ones?

Don’t be shy. Let me know what you want to read. I’m not writing these posts to hear myself “talk” ;-) If I’m going to spend time catching up I want it to be spent on something you guys actually care about.

Before I end this post I would like to a moment to say…

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

To everyone who sent me comments on my social media accounts, private messages and emails. Checking up on me, sending me helpful advice and even mentioning software to keep me writing when my arm was going dumb.

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While most stories have villains that are generic and somewhat boring others have villains that are creepy and leave you feeling freaked out.

The best type of villain, in my opinion, are the ones where you aren’t quite sure if the character is truly a villain or just misunderstood or the type where you know they are the villain of the story and yet you find yourself rooting for them anyway.

Literature examples of villains we found ourselves rooting for:

Lestat from Interview With A Vampire

Hannibal Lecter from Silence Of The Lambs

The Phantom from The Phantom of the Opera

Normal Bates from Psycho

Count Dracula from Dracula

Patrick Bateman from American Psycho

Smegal/Gollum from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Not the main villain in the story)

Humbert Humbert from Lolita

Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter Series

TV/Movie examples of villains we found ourselves rooting for:

Loki in The Avengers

Dexter in Dexter

Professor Moriarty from Sherlock

The Joker in The Dark Knight

Tony Montana in Scarface

The Grinch in How The Grinch Stole Christmas

What is a villain?

By definition a villain is:

a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot.

a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime.

a scoundrel.

an antagonist who tries to keep the protagonist from obtaining their goals.

a character who has a negative effect on other characters.

What makes a great villain?

Traits and qualities the reader can hate.

Traits and qualities the reader can love.

A soft spot or weakness. Something that really speaks about the humanity of the character.

A strong and compelling backstory that guides and motivates the villain from beginning to end.

A believable relationship between the villain and the protagonist that plays off of each other in an interesting way. For instance creating opposites between the antagonist and the protagonist.

Example: The protagonist is shy, honest and noble while the antagonist is out going, deceitful and out for himself.

An end game that goes beyond defeating the protagonist. Really take the time to flesh out the villains goals, motivations, wants and desires. What would be the villains Happily Every After Ending be?

The #1 “Don’t” rule for Villains

Don’t build your villain up, creating a compelling back story that feeds into the main story and then fail to write a proper climax between the antagonist and protagonist.

Nothing will turn a reader against a story as quick as a villain who doesn’t follow through.

Don’t tease the reader by slowly building up the tension between the two characters to basically have it fall limp and end before the climax has even begun.

If you’ve taken the time to write a strong, believable villain who creates compassion, tension, and conflict in your reader don’t short change them by making the climax lack-luster with the villain easily defeated.

Give the reader and the villain a climax to be proud of.

Never forget that the best villains are the ones readers can connect with.

The more believable and like-able the villain the more frightening and captivating they become in the readers mind.

I’ll end this with a question/quote to ponder on by Gregory Maguire from Wicked:

So basically, according to this definition on Dictionary.com every man that has a habitual erotic response to boobs has a fetish for boobs.

I don’t know about you but, I have a thing for thick necks and large rough hands on men.

All I have to do is look at them and I get aroused. Does this mean I have a neck and hand fetish or that my personal preference is men with thick necks and large hands?

Do you get where I’m going with this?

We need to stop thinking that fat people are undesirable just because society says so.

We are society.

If we want society to stop treating fatness as disgusting then we need to stop thinking and acting that way.

We also need to stop thinking that if someone is attracted to someone else because they are fat then that person is odd and has a fat fetish.

That person is not odd.

You can not control what attracts you physically or mentally but you can control how you handle that attraction.

Now, let’s move on to whether or not men who prefer truly plus size women actually exist.

Yes. Yes they do. 100%. Without a doubt.

You’re probably thinking, Where are they? If they truly exist why can’t I find them?

Here’s just a few reason why:

You haven’t been looking. Meaning they are in your daily life but you haven’t noticed them.

You’ve been “looking” but have a negative body image of yourself so you come off as angry or unhappy which is never appealing no matter what your body size is.

You’ve been looking but the guys who have showed interest in you weren’t your type.

You had guys who were your type approach you but you thought it was a joke and either dismissed it or were rude to them.

You have guys who are attracted to you but are just friends with you because they are either afraid you will reject them or afraid that they will be made fun of by other people.

You have guys who are attracted to you but have bought into the whole fat = disgusting mindset that they are freaked out by their attraction and either ignore you or are rude to you.

Once you learn that you don’t need to be a perfect size to be happy, or healthy or attractive a huge burden will be lifted from you.

You will find that you smile more, are happier and your body language will exude a feeling of confidence which is always sexy.

After you realize you are beautiful just the way you are the next step is to learn to accept compliments from others. Once you’ve accomplished that you will start to see people (both men and women) gravitate towards you.

Be open to it.

Don’t judge or second guess someone’s intentions.

Go with the flow and if you like the other person give them a shot.

However, listen to your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable around them, there’s usually a reason why.

Ok, so now that we know that these men do exist where can you find them?

Anywhere and Everywhere

No. Really.

Clear your mind, squash your self doubts, and open your eyes.

The next time you see someone you think you might be attracted to, smile!

A simple smile could be just the thing to give him the courage to come over and speak to you.

If clubs and group dating events aren’t your thing , where do you go to meet these men?

Well, what sort of things do you like to do?

Do you like to read? Then hang out at all your local bookstores, coffee shops and libraries.

Do you like shopping? Then hang out all your favorite malls and shops.

Do you like watching movies? Then hang out at the movie theater or movie stores.

Do you like art? Then hang out at art museums and local art galleries.

Do you like to eat/cook? Take a cooking class or hang out at cooking supply stores.

Are you catching onto the theme here?

Think about what excites you and get out of the house and immerse yourself in that.

Chances are that the other people there like the same thing you do and if they are single you’re good to go!

If you still doubt that men who prefer plus size women exists and you are looking to pick the brain of a man who is openly attracted to plus size women or just belong to a community of open admirers of people of size try:

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He actually exists, to a certain degree, in real life. (I say to a certain degree because no one is truly perfect.)

If this is true why is it so hard to write one?

Because writing is just plain hard.

Well, it is. It’s not easy, especially when you’re trying your hardest to portray the characters and the story the best way possible.

However, crafting your curve loving hero doesn’t have to be so difficult.

Step 1: Do you research.

If you are a man who loves curvy plus size women and is writing about a man who loves them as well your first step should be to sit down and really think about why you are attracted to plus size women.

What is it about that particular body type that attracts and excites you?

What do you think about when you look at her?

How does she make you feel?

What do you say to her?

If you are a plus size woman who is loved by a curve loving man then sit and think about the reasons he’s mentioned as to why he is attracted to you. Asking him again is a great way to refresh your memory and bring you two closer together (in and out of the bedroom). Here are some questions to ask him:

What is it about you as a person that he is attracted to?

What is it about your body that excites him?

What turns him on in the bedroom?

What turns him on when you are out in public?

Did his friends or family give him a hard time because he was attracted to plus size women?

How does he feel about being attracted to plus size women?

If neither of these holds true for you, don’t despair. There are plenty of forums and dating sites that are for men who love plus size women. Send out a message to them to let them know you are researching a character and need their input. They will be more then happy to help you. Here are some questions to ask them:

Are you only attracted to plus size women or any women that excites you?

What is it about plus size women that attracts you?

Has someone ever made fun of you for loving plus size women and if so how did you handle it?

What is your dream woman like physically and mentally?

How do you feel when a woman you are attracted to puts herself down? What do you say to her when that happens?

Can you name your favorite sexual fantasy?

Step 2: Read some popular plus size romance books.

Technically you can still classify this under research but I feel it’s separate because now you need to pay attention to how you feel when you read the heroes other people have created. While reading, keep a pad of paper and a pencil to write down what comes to mind. Some questions to consider:

Do you like this hero? If yes, why? If no, why?

Is there anything in particular that he says, thinks or does that you like?

Is there anything in particular that he says, thinks or does that you hate?

Is the hero surprised that he is attracted to her? If so how does that make you feel?

Does the hero’s friends and family make of fun of him for being attracted to her? If so, how does he handle it and how do you feel about it?

Is he open about his attraction to her or does he try to hide it? If he tries to hide it why? How does that make you feel?

If the heroine puts herself down and has poor body confidence how does the hero handle it? Do you like how he handles it or does it make you roll your eyes?

How does the hero show his attraction? What does he do with her in the bedroom? Do you find his attraction real and believable? If not, why? What in particular seems unrealistic?

After you are done reading the book go online and read the comments left by other readers. How did they react to the hero? How do their reactions compare to yours? (After you do this you will have a good idea of where your like and dislikes are compared to other readers.)

Step 3: Write a hero that excites you.

If you write a hero you are excited about and proud of, it will show and your readers will fall in love with him.

Don’t stress about pleasing every reader because that’s impossible but some guidelines you could keep in mind when crafting your hero are:

Things he likes:

Smart Women

Strong Women

A Woman who keeps him on his toes but treats him with respect

Things he loves:

All of her body

All of her imperfections

All of her little quirks

What he has:

Faults but acknowledges them

A life and desires outside of the heroine

Family and friends that he cares about

A healthy respect for women

What he doesn’t care about:

The fact that she is plus size

The fact that he is attracted to her because she is plus size

The heroine being fat and needing to loose weight (Meaning he never asks her to go on a diet)

What he will do:

Openly show his attraction to her

Treat her with respect

Pick her up when her confidence falls

If you need help fleshing out your hero check out some of the articles and worksheets I saved on my Pinterest board titled: Character Building

All of Me by John Legend, for me, sums up what the perfect romance hero feels when he falls for his plus size heroine. Listen to the lyrics and tell me if you agree.

However, when someone sees a fictional couple as a favorite then you can guaranteed that the writer did their job.

In order for there to be a favorite there has to be a connection between not just one character with the reader, not just two, but the dynamic between two characters with the reader.

That is not easily done.

Sure, there are a lot of favorite heroines and we’ve all got a long list of book boyfriends we gravitate too ;-) But its rare for a reader to fall in love with both the hero and heroine and who they are as a couple.

I did an informal survey where I asked two questions.

(*Keep in mind that these answers are varied. I randomly picked romance readers, asked them two questions and pooled thier answers together. There is a wide variety of romances listed along with a wide variety of “meaning” when it comes to couples.*)

Question #2: Out of the top 20 Romances You listed which couple did you like the most?

The following list shows the couples rated from 1st – 20th.

Sierra and Beau from Beau Cowboy Protector

Beau Adams can’t stop thinking about Sierra Byrne. Her feisty spirit and ample curves dominate his thoughts, while he should be focused on getting himself and Midnight, the Harts’ prized stallion, to the National Finals Rodeo. When Beau and Sierra’s electric connection finally leads to a steamy night together, Beau hopes it’s the beginning of something more. As much as Sierra wants to be with Beau, anything long-term is out of the question. A recently diagnosed eye disease will soon leave her blind, and she can’t ask a rising rodeo star like Beau to take on that responsibility. Though she tries to pretend their tryst was just another item on her bucket list, Sierra’s true feelings run a lot deeper. Will she let her affliction steal not only her sight, but her dreams of happiness, as well?

Andi and Misadventures from Misadventures of Fatwoman (another “couple” I’m so happy to see on the list)

Andi has always been anxious about her weight and like many women, thinks that unless she is thin, she has no value. Follow her ‘misadventures’ and see if this is true or will she find there are more important things that makes a person who and what they are?

Rebecca and Logan from Master of the Mountain

When Rebecca’s lover talks her into a mountain lodge vacation with his swing club, she soon learns she’s not cut out for playing musical beds. But with her boyfriend “entertaining” in their cabin, she has nowhere to sleep. Logan, the lodge owner, finds her freezing on the porch. After hauling her inside, he warms her in his own bed, and there the experienced Dominant discovers that Rebecca might not be a swinger…but she is definitely a submissive. Rebecca knows that no one can love her plump, scarred body. But, to her surprise, Logan disagrees and is quite happy to show her just how much he enjoys her curves. Under his skilled hands, Rebecca loses not only her inhibitions, but also her heart. Damaged from the war, Logan considers himself too dangerous to be around the enticing little sub. He sends her away for her own safety, not realizing she thinks she’s been rejected because of her size. When Logan’s mountains echo with her voice long after she’s gone, he knows she’s left behind part of herself—and taken his heart. But when he arrives in the city to reclaim her, Rebecca’s phone has been disconnected and her apartment is empty…

Tyra and Tack from Motorcycle Man

Tyra Masters has had enough drama to last a lifetime. Now, she’s back on track and looking forward to her new, quiet life. Until she meets the man of her dreams. The tattooed, muscled biker plies her with tequila-and the best sex of her life. She knows it isn’t the tequila and hot sex talking. He’s the kind of man she’s always wanted. Unfortunately, he’s also her new boss . . . Kane “Tack” Allen has a rule. He doesn’t employ someone he’s slept with. So when he learns he spent last night in bed with his new office manager, he quickly fires Tyra. Yet when Tyra stands up to him and fights for her job, Tack is intrigued. He tells her she can keep her job on one condition: no more sex. Ever. But as things heat up between them, Tack finds that he’ll be the one breaking all the rules…

Elise and Charlie from Curve My Attitude

Elise Michaels has to deal with her first love, Charlie Barnes, when he turns up at her best friend’s wedding. Charlie never expected to come face to face with Elise, the woman who broke his heart, when he returned home to support his friends on their wedding day.

Kim and Peter from Delicate Devastation

Who knew the priest could be such a bad boy?Peter Rynalt is every woman’s sinful dream. The other Endurers might call him a priest, but there’s nothing saintly about his seductive desires. He gets what he wants, but he sticks to one cardinal rule… he never goes back. Kim Jones hasn’t forgotten Peter since the night she made a play for him. He’s the one man in New Orleans that she can’t have. She doesn’t think she’ll see him again, but one night he rescues her from a demonic attack, and the heat between them can no longer be denied.
Demons are roaming the streets of New Orleans. To survive, Kim will have to remain with Peter, but it comes at a price. She’ll have to pay for her protection with her body… and her heart.

Izzy and Eibhear from How To Drive A Dragon Crazy

Some things never go away, like vile enemies, bad ale, and annoying kin. Honestly, though, I thought I was finished with the one dragon I’d have done anything for: Éibhear the Blue, a big, gorgeous, blue-haired beast who thinks the world belongs to him. The world and, apparently, me. If Éibhear wants to play the caring hero and travel into the most forsaken of Gods forsaken lands to protect the one woman who doesn’t need it—namely me—I’ll let him. Because while I’m trying to fulfill a ridiculous quest for a pushy god, I’m going to draw this overconfident warlord much too close, rekindle his fires, and enjoy every minute of his delicious defeat…

Odelia and Greg from Too Big To Miss

Too big to miss–that’s Odelia Grey. A never-married, middle-aged, plus-sized woman who makes no excuses for her weight, she’s not super woman just a mere mortal standing on the precipice of menopause, trying to cruise in an ill-fitting bra. She struggles with her relationships, her crazy family, and her crazier boss. And then there”s her knack for being in close proximity to dead people . . . . When her close friend Sophie London commits suicide in front of an online web-cam by putting a gun in her mouth and pulling the trigger, Odelia’s life is changed forever. Sophie, a plus-sized activist and inspiration to imperfect women, is the last person anyone would ever have expected to end her own life. Suspecting foul play, Odelia is determined to get to the bottom of her friend’s death. Odelia’s search for the truth takes her from southern California strip malls to the world of live web-cam porn to the ritzy enclave of Corona del Mar.

Callie and Gabriel from Nine Rules To Break When Romancing A Rake

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell, a plain but wealthy 28-year-old who refuses to marry a man who only desires her fortune, acts on a long-held crush and flings herself at Gabriel St. John, marquess of Ralston. Gabriel finds her antics more amusing than enticing, but his half-wild half-sister needs an impeccable chaperone and he chooses Callie for the role. Their proximity creates an infinite series of opportunities for the rake to practice his wiles on the more than willing wallflower.

Neve and Max from You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me

Sweet, bookish Neve Slater always plays by the rules. And the number one rule is that good-natured fat girls like her don’t get guys like gorgeous, handsome William, heir to Neve’s heart since university. But William’s been in LA for three years, and Neve’s been slimming down and re-inventing herself so that when he returns, he’ll fall head over heels in love with the new, improved her.
So she’s not that interested in other men. Until her sister Celia points out that if Neve wants William to think she’s an experienced love-goddess and not the fumbling, awkward girl he left behind, then she’d better get some, well, experience.
What Neve needs is someone to show her the ropes, someone like Celia’s colleague Max. Wicked, shallow, sexy Max. And since he’s such a man-slut, and so not Neve’s type, she certainly won’t fall for him. Because William is the man for her… right?
Somewhere between losing weight and losing her inhibitions, Neve’s lost her heart – but to who?

Zoe and Trevor from Perfection

Zoe is used to taking care of herself and has long ago accepted that if anything bad was going to happen, it was going to happen to her. So when she loses her job over something most bosses would probably be happy with and her life starts going down hill from there she doesn’t expect it to get any better. She certainly didn’t expect any help from the loud jerk next door, but then again she has nothing to lose so puts her trust in him and hopes for the best. What she didn’t expect was the once in a lifetime opportunity that he offers her through an arrangement where they both benefit and no one is supposed to get hurt, but she should have known better because her luck has never been that good. Like most Bradfords, Trevor has a soft spot for food, but that’s about all. He leads a pretty straightforward life and likes to keep things simple and that includes his relationships. He wants the perfect woman and knows exactly what she’ll be like. So when he discovers much to his horror that he’s thinking about his frumpy little neighbor he decides the best way to get his head straight is by working her out of his system. He’ll keep her around, but only until he finds perfection.

Christy and Cole from Heavy Issues

Steering clear of relationships has never been difficult for demolitions expert Cole Bowen, but now, with his brother’s engagement sending the female population into full-blown hysterics and the town of Alden’s month-long festivities helping along, he finds himself in hell. When he discovers Alden’s new resident and the object of all his wet dreams, Christine Sheridan, has sworn off relationships and is going to hire a gigolo to get professionally laid, he decides to kill two birds with one stone. Christy is so not drinking again. Thanks to José Cuervo she has her friends signing her up for stud conventions and Cole frigging Bowen offering sex in exchange for fake dates, which is so out of the question it isn’t even funny. She knows the domineering man will push her boundaries, and after battling all her life with self-esteem issues, she isn’t ready for that. Too bad he won’t take no for an answer.

Cole is determined to strip away all of her defenses but refuses to lower his ever-present walls, so when Christy realizes she wants more, she’s left with only two options; walk away or crack his shield and risk her heart in the process.

Tate and Matt from Making Chase

Tate Murphy is a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. She grew up a million miles away from the easy life Matt Chase has had. She’s spent her life pulling herself and her siblings up and out of that trailer by the railroad tracks and she hasn’t looked back. Matt Chase is a dream of a guy and she’s certainly not going to turn down a short fling with one of the most handsome men she’s ever seen! Matt Chase has watched each one of his brothers find love and he knows he’s ready for that too. It’s all a matter of finding the woman who captures his heart. He’s certainly sampled his fair share of them but none has moved him the way Tate Murphy does when he goes to her shop to thank her for some cookies and a thank you note. But as Matt gets to know Tate and appreciate her strength and unique beauty, he also realizes she’s got some big self esteem issues about her past. To build a future, he’s got to find a way past some big road blocks.

Sophia and Max from Bonds of Justice

Max Shannon is a good cop, one of the best in New York Enforcement. Born with a natural shield that protects him against Psy mental invasions, he knows he has little chance of advancement within the Psy-dominated power structure. The last case he expects to be assigned is that of a murderer targeting a Psy Councilor’s closest advisors. And the last woman he expects to compel him in the most sensual of ways is a Psy on the verge of a catastrophic mental fracture…Sophia Russo is a Justice-Psy, cursed with the ability to retrieve memories from men and women so twisted even veteran cops keep their distance. Appointed as Max’s liaison with the Psy, she finds herself fascinated by this human, her frozen heart threatening to thaw with forbidden emotion. But, her mind filled with other people’s nightmares, other people’s evil, she’s standing on the border between sanity and a silken darkness that urges her to take justice into her own hands, to become judge, jury…and executioner…

Elli and Shea from Taking Shots

No matter how hard she tries, Elleanor Fisher never thinks she’s good enough, from her job to her weight to her love life. After enduring years of abuse at the hands of an ex-boyfriend, Elli has been drifting through life in a daze. Until, that is, she meets Shea Adler on a promotional shoot for the NHL’s Nashville Assassins. Before Elli knows what’s happening, the gorgeous Shea breaks the ice and shatters her world. A brilliant athlete inside the rink, Shea Adler is tired of the life he’s living outside of it: the women, the money, the drinking. But everything changes when he meets Elli. After laying eyes on this feisty, witty, beautiful woman, he feels like he’s just taken the hardest hit of his life. No matter how skeptical she is, Shea knows they are meant to be together–if only he can convince Elli to put her insecurities aside before she misses out on a shot at love.

Artemisia and Garrett from Heart Secret

When a virulent disease killed the woman he loved and her baby, Garrett Primross was left alive, a reluctant survivor. Now, as a private eye, he strives to banish the memories of his past and rebuild his life. The Healers of Celta have something else in mind: Discover why he survived. He is monitored by Healer Artemisia Panax—his HeartMate, a love he never pursued. Still mourning his loss, he refuses to acknowledge her. Since her family was publicly disgraced, she’s used to such treatment. She wants nothing more than to guard her livelihood and protect the secrets she’s sworn to keep. Thrown together by duty, Garrett and Artemisia find the body of the last Black Magic Cultist who ruined her family. Suspicion flares, but they have little choice but to investigate the crime together. When their own lives are placed in danger, they realize that denying their HeartMates is only denying their own future.

Natalie and Connor from My Wolf Cowboy

Natalie Miller spent her entire life living on the Amish settlement in Missouri. Her world was safe… until the night a posse of snake shifters attack them. It seems like all hope is lost, but then theycome. Out of the darkness and flames, a group of naked men step out of the shadows, some of them human, while others are wolf. In the glow of the burning building, they are perfection, much too beautiful to ever be just mortal. And when one of them proclaims her to be his mate, Natalie realizes nothing will ever be the same again. The werewolf Connor is pure sin, packaged in a sexy, muscular frame of perfection… and he’s tempting her beyond belief. Her attraction to him goes against everything she was taught to believe in, but her body doesn’t care. She’s in heat, and he’s the only one that can quench the flames that burn inside of her.

Grace and Noah from Too Much Temptation

Grace Jenkins has had little experience with men–feeling too awkward and insecure to free the passionate woman inside her. But that hasn’t stopped her from dreaming about Noah Harper. Gorgeous, strong and darkly sexy, his rough edge beneath the polish promises no mercy in the bedroom. When Grace learns Noah’s engagement has ended in scandal, she shyly offers him her support and her friendship. But Noah’s looking for something extra. . . Noah wants Grace–badly. He wants to possess those curves that go on forever, to savor her sweet innocence, to take her to the limits of white-hot desire. . .again and again. What he doesn’t want is anything more complicated than that, and he knows Grace is a woman who deserves better. Grace, however, knows exactly what she wants–the kind of ecstasy only Noah can give her. Brazenly, she accepts, and Noah promises to make all her secret fantasies come true. . .

Shasta and Ulyssa from Fat Assassins (I love the fact that a book which features best friends got picked on here!)

Southern style sweet potatoes Shasta and Ulyssa have stuck together through thick and thin since their escape from third grade fat camp. But on one dark day, they both find themselves unemployed. A hazardous job hunt sees them turn down egg harvesting, drug dealing and phone sex before they settle for an exterminator job. Confusing mafia lingo leaves the girls thinking they’re being interviewed to cope with a rodent infestation. Confident that they can handle the job, they oversell their skills and demand half the payment up front to seal the deal. Skeptical at first, the mob boss decides to hire this unlikely pair when he mistakes their attitude for professional stoicism. The girls are shocked when presented with a target profile and an envelope full of cash. They want out, but it’s too late. The mob doesn’t allow do-overs. And certainly not when they’re whacking one of their own. The clock is ticking and when the body count is still zero after multiple attempts, the boss decides to bring in additional assassins to finish the job and tie up loose ends. And the girls just happen to be one of those loose ends.

Women and their sexuality from Zaftig: Well Rounded Erotica

“Many of the pieces are frank in celebrating the transformative force of sex, lust, desire, and the recognition that one is desired.” Zaftig women, described variously as “full-figured” and “pleasingly plump,” have long been a source of fetish and humor in erotic literature. Now the publisher of Best Women’s Erotica turns the tables with surprising, steamy stories showcasing the sex lives of women of size and their admirers. “Not only is Blank’s work infused with humor and mischievous irony, her delight in her own body and her sexuality is fabulously contagious: she makes you feel good about yourself in every way, shape, and form.” — Paramour

I was pleasantly surprised at what stories and couples came to mind. I can’t wait to read them all!